Wording not preserved
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UND
Propane tanks at a construction site caught fire; two buildings evacuated, no injuries
AI-generated · every claim is source-linkedAround 1:08 p.m. CST on January 9, 2024, the Grand Forks Fire Department was called to 2419 2nd Ave N on the University of North Dakota campus for a propane leak, and crews found flames coming from the tops of two large propane tanks being used to heat a construction area. UND evacuated nearby buildings including the Fritz Pollard Jr. Athletic Center and the EERC, and the state of North Dakota pushed an emergency alert at 1:20 p.m. CST warning of a propane leak near the 2500 block of Second Avenue North. Crews cooled the tanks, shut off the supply valves, and an all-clear was given with no injuries.
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UND Alerts
Documented Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim
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Verified verbatim131 chars
There is a propane leak near the Fritz Pollard Center and EERC. Please avoid the area until emergency crews can mitigate the issue!
Verbatim UND Alert text as quoted by KVRR Local News on January 9, 2024, directing the campus community to stay away from the Fritz Pollard Center and EERC areas.
The alert was issued after the burning propane tanks near the construction site prompted evacuation of the Fritz Pollard Jr. Athletic Center and Energy & Environmental Research Center.
Wording not preserved
This message is documented at this point in the sequence, but its exact wording is not preserved in the public record. The public edition displays only confirmed alert text.
Context
Background
The fire broke out at a winter construction area on the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks, where two large propane tanks were being used as temporary heat. According to Valley News Live, the Grand Forks Fire Department was dispatched to 2419 2nd Ave N around 1:08 p.m. CST on January 9, 2024, after bystanders reported the tanks were on fire, and the state of North Dakota issued an emergency alert at 1:20 p.m. CST warning of a propane leak near the 2500 block of Second Avenue North. The Grand Forks Herald reported that the Fritz Pollard Jr. Athletic Center and the EERC were evacuated, and KVRR reported the all-clear after crews controlled the fire and shut off the valves. Investigators determined the leak was accidental, caused by a broken fitting ignited by a nearby heat source. KVRR quoted the UND Alert verbatim: 'There is a propane leak near the Fritz Pollard Center and EERC. Please avoid the area until emergency crews can mitigate the issue!' The state WEA and all-clear texts were not published by local media.
Analysis
Key Findings
A construction-heating workaround (two large propane tanks) became the hazard, igniting after a fitting broke near a heat source
Both a state-level wireless emergency alert (1:20 p.m. CST) and UND's own building-evacuation alerts were used, layering municipal and campus notification systems
Named UND buildings, the Fritz Pollard Jr. Athletic Center and the EERC, were evacuated as a precaution; no one was hurt
KVRR quoted the UND Alert verbatim, confirming the building-specific notification text directed the community to avoid the Fritz Pollard Center and EERC; the state WEA and all-clear texts were not reproduced
Outcome
No injuries were reported. The Grand Forks Fire Department responded with five engines, a ladder truck, a command vehicle and 21 personnel; damage was contained to construction-site materials and the tanks. Investigators ruled the leak accidental, caused by a broken fitting ignited by a nearby heat source.
Provenance
Sources
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Cite this case
Campus Alert Archive. "University of North Dakota: Propane tanks at a construction site caught fire; two buildings evacuated, no injuries." Incident of January 9, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-north-dakota-propane-tank-fire-2024-01-09/
Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.
Tags
firepropaneconstruction-sitenorth-dakotaundgrand-forksevacuationemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion